Stiffer penalities sought by public

Research found the current penalties for road rage, racism too lenient for Dutch citizens.

The Hague – The Dutch public prosecutor’s office announced on Monday it will toughen penalties for road rage and racism in response to public opinion on sentencing.

The office will demand 25 percent harsher sentences for those convicted of offences linked to aggression on the road, racism and discrimination.

The research, carried out by the Verwey-Jonker institute, included large-scale internet questionnaires and small-scale panel discussions.

The results revealed that many people think sentencing for road rage offences is currently too lenient. Many also felt that aggressive or threatening behaviour linked to racism and discrimination should be punished more severely.

Public prosecutor’s office chief Harm Brouwer told newspapers Trouw and De Pers that he believed it was important to hold a dialogue with the public. People do not need to hold a law degree to be able to give a sensible opinion on criminal law, he added.

However, the public did not call for tougher sentencing across the board. For some minor offences, people felt a warning was sufficient punishment, Brouwer said.